force feeding

[wisconsin]

how long and how many tries do you wait to force feed
i really dont want to......but i don't want them to die
both haven't eaten in 3 weeks or so. (one is 1.5 months the other one is 3 months old)
temps are good
please give me tips on what i should do and how long they can go w/o eating.
i live in wisconsin and the days are not that long could that be the reason?
please help
p.s. ive tried scenting and lots of other things, they dont seem interested....

[Susan]

When I've resorted to force feeding, it has always been after a couple of months of trying all the other options and it is a last resort. A common error I see some people do is that they offer the various "types" of food too often. That in itself can make a snake stop eating. Were both snakes eating well before they stopped, and what were they eating/how, etc? Both are small enought to be fed in a small container (deli cup, sandwich container, etc). Offer meals every 5 - 7 days. Leave the hatchlings with the meal in a dark, quiet place over-night. Try: F/T, brained F/T, tuna-scented F/T, chicken-scented, lizard-scented, washed with soap F/T, F/T combos (brained & tuna-scented or washed), live, scented/washed live, live in a brown sandwich-size paper bag, pinkies from a totally different source. Once you've tried all of these, and the snakes still haven't eaten, you can try force-feeding. Good luck!

[diamondlil]

When I've resorted to force feeding, it has always been after a couple of months of trying all the other options and it is a last resort. A common error I see some people do is that they offer the various "types" of food too often. That in itself can make a snake stop eating. Were both snakes eating well before they stopped, and what were they eating/how, etc? Both are small enought to be fed in a small container (deli cup, sandwich container, etc). Offer meals every 5 - 7 days. Leave the hatchlings with the meal in a dark, quiet place over-night. Try: F/T, brained F/T, tuna-scented F/T, chicken-scented, lizard-scented, washed with soap F/T, F/T combos (brained & tuna-scented or washed), live, scented/washed live, live in a brown sandwich-size paper bag, pinkies from a totally different source. Once you've tried all of these, and the snakes still haven't eaten, you can try force-feeding. Good luck!
Excellent reply, but the system won't let me rep you

[wisconsin]

When I've resorted to force feeding, it has always been after a couple of months of trying all the other options and it is a last resort. A common error I see some people do is that they offer the various "types" of food too often. That in itself can make a snake stop eating. Were both snakes eating well before they stopped, and what were they eating/how, etc? Both are small enought to be fed in a small container (deli cup, sandwich container, etc). Offer meals every 5 - 7 days. Leave the hatchlings with the meal in a dark, quiet place over-night. Try: F/T, brained F/T, tuna-scented F/T, chicken-scented, lizard-scented, washed with soap F/T, F/T combos (brained & tuna-scented or washed), live, scented/washed live, live in a brown sandwich-size paper bag, pinkies from a totally different source. Once you've tried all of these, and the snakes still haven't eaten, you can try force-feeding. Good luck!


thank you for your reply
i think i offer food to much
about every 2-3 days
i will hold off and wait a bout a week
how long can a neonate/young snake go w/o eating?

[Susan]

The length of time a hatchling can go without eating can depend upon a variety of factors. If it's one straight out of the egg, the size of the hatchling as well as how much yolk it had absorbed will be factors. Number and size of prior meals, any health issues, housing/habitat conditions can also be factors. I've had neonates take up to 3 months to eat their first meal and then do fine, while others will have had several meals in a row, suddenly stop and then die within a week. Basically, if either of your snakes has been a regular eater in the past, there is some reason why it isn't eating now. It may simply be a preference for a certain supplier's pinky, or a serious health issue. Sometimes, you simply can't tell, even with a vet's visit. If they have never eaten, they just haven't found yet what they like, are stressed for some reason or another, or simply were not meant to survive. Nature will do that and we just have to accept and live with that knowledge. Hopefully, your two will come around for you and eat their next meal. Just make sure your 1.0 tabby cat isn't stressing them out at feeding time! I find it hard to eat when I have a pair of feline eyes staring at me, and I'm not considered prey by my cat (although I am the only source of food it has)!